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The School Newspaper of Harriton High School

The Harriton Banner

The School Newspaper of Harriton High School

The Harriton Banner

So, Alexis

In my opinion, one of the groups of people who receive more sympathy then they deserve are celebrities.  While their complaints of paparazzi are sincere and very prominent in any dialogue they indulge in, I find it hard to believe that their lives are worth complaining about, seeing as most of them have million dollar paychecks and have fans that would do almost anything just to be near them.  Yet oddly enough, I find myself sympathizing with celebrities in one respect – and that is their serving as role models for today’s youth.  Many athletes, actors and singers have been publicly chastised for their less than ideal actions, not so much because what they are doing is terribly inappropriate, but instead, they receive punishment for the example they are setting for their fans.  What does this really mean?  It means that celebrities are being used as scapegoats for the less than perfect actions of children, and instead of appropriately addressing their child’s issue, parents are quick to put the blame on their child’s “idols,” because of course their precious kin can do no wrong.
While I do see some merit in having someone to look up to, I do not believe in trying to model one’s actions after those of someone else.  Of course people can serve as a positive influence and it may be good to emulate some of their actions, yet these people are still just as capable of making mistakes as the rest of us.  The difference between these people (who in most cases are celebrities) and us, is that not only do they have to take personal responsibility for their own actions, but they must take responsibility for those decisions of anyone who chooses to emulate them.  For example, I’m sure many of you can recall the tabloid frenzy surrounding Miley Cyrus’ infamous performance at the Teen Choice Awards where a fireman’s pole was used as a prop in her dance routine.  Many were quick to judge Cyrus, call her vicious names and curse her for dancing in such a manner when her audience of young tween girls was watching.  Had Miley Cyrus been scantily clad or singing provocative lyrics I might agree with these accusations, but she was not.  While the mommies and daddies of the world might not want their children exposed to this kind of behavior, it’s out there and children cannot stay sheltered forever.  Instead, let your children see what goes on in the world and teach them to make decisions based not on what they see, but what they know is appropriate to do.
And let us not forget about the other party involved, the famous one who often gets the blame, who in this case is Miley Cyrus.  At the tender age of seventeen she is exploring adolescence and acting in much the same way as many other seventeen year olds.  The desire to dress in an adult and very feminine manner, the changing of boyfriends and other things of this nature are normal in adolescent development, so why should she be publicly ridiculed for trying to grow up the same way other teenage girls do?  The answer – she shouldn’t be.  I say, leave the celebrities alone and instead of putting the burden of “role model” on someone, think of yourself, and whether you would want that pressure put on you.  I know I wouldn’t want to be held responsible for the actions of people who I have never met before, and I am confident that most people would say the same.  Whether you also think that too much pressure is put on famous individuals to serve as good role models, I think we can all agree that these celebrities, regardless of their more prominent presence on Billboard Music charts, in movies, or in athletic events, are no different than the rest of us, and therefore should not be held to higher standards when it comes to their actions.

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